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Jihb
Frederick Jihb Morstede is a resident of Derby, Mercia, Kingdom of England. *Current Patriarch of the House of Morstede. History 'Early Life' The early life of the one called Frederick Jihb Morstede was left unrecorded until his arrival in the Kingdom of England. Separate accounts from individual sources and old records detail the early life of Frederick of having lived in a once prominent European household of nobility in the Holy Roman Empire. Austro-Bavarian in stock but Prussian in nature, Frederick was a serious and refined boy with great dignity and equally great temper. At an early age, he grew distant from his parents who were busy sorting out growing financial problems within their household. Instead of attending lavish parties or gossiping with the other children of local nobles, Frederick instead watched the rigid drills and training of the military men of their town. He admired their order and discipline. In comparison to the unruly nature of the children, the soldiers were professional and unmoving. They executed their orders efficiently and effectively when commanded to, oftentimes succeeding in their maneuvers or endeavors. Anything other than success was reprimanded by their leader. Watching the soldiers and their drills would have an ever-lasting effect on Frederick's modus operandi. He believed from then on that to be successful, one must be rigid and authoritative in nature - a commanding presence with a fist of iron. 'Academy Years' Sometime after being born, Frederick was sent to study navigation, sailing, and trade at a naval academy in Holland. There, he became greatly interested in the aspects of sailing and Mercantilism. Endless time was devoted to his studies. Along with his basic education, Frederick was taught writing, reading, refined speech, mathematics, and philosophy. In addition, he was taught naval tactics and lessons in the art of war by instructors in the academy. Over the years, Frederick fell in love with the adventures, the sea, and with strict military discipline. During his time in Holland, Frederick, around his seventeenth year of age, began an affair with a young Anglo-Dutch daughter of a prominent family in England. They met every few nights and together, would talk about politics, literature, and other things. Eventually, the two would spend nights embracing one another in the comforts of each others' rooms. The young lady soon became with child, and at first, the couple were excited at the prospects of parenthood. It was sadly not to be, for the family of the daughter heard of the news and quickly sent for their daughter to come back to England in disgrace. Before parting, the two agreed to name the child Harold or Marianne depending on the gender. After the young lady left, Frederick devoted more and more of his time to his studies. Though Frederick was an avid student, little contact was kept between the family and himself. He had primarily lived a life without his family, and thus, had little sense or need to check back with them. However, during his late years at the academy, a letter came from his parents detailing that a brother had been born. Unsure of what to make of the news, Frederick quickly wrote back and congratulated his parents. It seemed odd to be having another child, especially since Frederick was in his early twenties now. The great age difference was slightly perplexing, but he had no reign over his parent's decisions. Unmoved by the news, Frederick continued his studies. Years later, after the brother had been sent to an academy in France, terrible news had been delivered to Frederick. His family was on the verge of bankruptcy and could no longer afford his tuition at the academy. Devastated, Frederick attempted to plead to the Headmaster to allow him to continue studying; however, though the two were on good terms, the headmaster reluctantly had to deny Frederick's request due to his financial situation. Thus, the young noble was cast out of the academy. 'Time at Sea' Forced to wander the streets of Holland, Frederick had little options left to himself. He could not afford to travel back to his family in the Holy Roman Empire or even send them a message of his well-being. What little money he had was spent on meager food items. Trying to strike a living, Frederick began doing odd jobs around Holland. As much as a hard-worker he may have been, the jobs he preformed were not sufficient in providing any form of profit. Days turned to weeks as he made barely enough to survive. The time he spent in Holland was unbelievably hard. It tried the fabric of his existence and in his belief in the almighty Jah. A devout Roman Aristotelian, Frederick couldn't help but feel abandoned by his own faith when he was forced on to the streets. During his work throughout Holland, he had seen priests and other various members of the church ride by in fine carriages or ordains them in luscious jewelry. In some cases, these supposed holy figures were even granted titles and land. Frederick observed as common Aristotelians just like himself, lived day by day praying to Jah for a better life, while members of the church hierarchy flaunted their power. The church was supposed to bring prosperity to all; however, the leaders of the church were seen to him as keeping much of the prosperity to themselves. It was these observations that prompted Frederick to begin to question his faith. The steadily building doubts inside of him would continue to dog at his thinking during his time in Holland. It wasn't until after spending a brutal month in Holland that Frederick had a revelation. He was nearing his mid-to-late twenties at the time, and remembering what a teacher had once told him, that he should "Always look to the sea for your answers", he began to work harder than before, saving as much as he could without essentially starving himself. Before long, he had a pouch containing a small saving of coins. After spending one more day in Holland, Frederick made his way to the docks. Hungry, distraught, and poor, he put his plan into action. Avoiding dock authorities, he smuggled on to the next ship departing from the harsh realm. Soon after, the ship departed the port of Holland. As it turned out, the ship which was departing was headed towards the Kingdom of England. It would seem that luck would be turning in his favor after all; however, during the voyage the ship was struck with a terrible storm. The ship capsized under the immense power of the storm and all who were aboard (including Frederick) were thrown into the sea. Miraculously, Frederick survived the storm. Clinging on to a piece of rotting wood, Frederick floated in the English Channel for what seemed like days. There was hardly anything to eat, but he survived by finding scraps of food floating on the surface of where the ship had sunk. On the occasion, however, he would find the bloated bodies of the not as fortunate passengers of the ship. Weary, Frederick began to lose hope in his current situation. In a fortunate round of luck, a merchant ship that had just deported from the Holland port a few days after his had spotted him. He was picked up by the merchant ship's crew and given clothes and food. Regaining the strength lost during his ordeal at sea, Frederick learned that the ship was on a voyage to the Oriental and that the ship would be stopping in the Spanish nation. Apparently, there was trade to be had in Spain prior to the trip to the Oriental. When given the opportunity to serve as a part of the crew, Frederick was struck with excitement and happily accepted the offer. This was what he had dreamed of his entire life: sailing in the open sea. 'A Question of Faith' Faith had an odd way of meddling itself into one's life. While serving aboard the vessel, Frederick often took time to reflect on the belief that had been wavering inside of him. He would often sit out on the deck of the ship after finishing his duties and meditate. Other sailors would poke fun at him for doing such things, but they understood his actions. In time, Frederick's reflections gave way to a revelation. Although he disapproved of the luxuries of those of the hierarchy of the Roman Aristotelian Church, he would later find balance from the belief of the greater Jah. In his heart, he knew that the teachings of Roman Aristotelian were there to benefit all; however, the free-will given to the followers of the church would allow for criticism and outspokenness. This allowed for Frederick to retain his earlier opinions, all while being allowed to follow his own personal version of Roman Aristotelianism. Though there were more things to which he disagreed about the church, Frederick would keep his opinions to himself. It would be at the end of the trip to Spain, that Frederick would regain his faith towards the Roman Aristotelian Church. The general teachings of the church should be held in a positive light. However, it should not be the principle thing in life. It was on the journey to Spain that Frederick not only reinforced his faith but also his belief in the "ideal renaissance man". Of course, as it was the period of rebirth of the ancient cultures, Frederick couldn't help but notice the conversion of many to the principles of individualism. Though most, he noticed, remained ardent followers of the church, they sought prosperity in the forms of education and work. He had always been an outspoken person on the subject of hard-work and formal education in otherwise forgotten areas. The "rebirth", however, would bring to light these areas in a way that he could not have imagined. By combining the faith of the church with the teachings of old, Frederick would finally find balance in his beliefs. 'Disastor at Sea' The voyage to Spain was an easy one. During the time, Frederick worked hard to keep in pace with the other crew members. He swabbed the decks, navigated, and even got to handle the Captain's pet monkey. His time and hard-work on the ship earned him a good reputation amongst the crew members. Soon thereafter, the ship docked in Spain and loaded up on goods. The crew would spend a few months in Spain before setting out for the Oriental via the Strait of Gibraltar. It was an exciting adventure. The ship avoided Barbary Pirates, storms, and other mishaps during its travel around the Mediterranean. Months turned to a few years as the crew finally returned to Spain to load up and sell goods. During this time, the Captain told Frederick that they would be heading to England to sell the goods. He also noted that when they arrived, Frederick would be compensated a sailor's wage and then relieved of his service. To show his appreciation in Frederick's hard work, the Captain paid him in advance. Moved by the Captain's generosity, Frederick worked harder than before to make his last few weeks on the ship noteworthy. It wasn't before long that the ship was nearing the English coast; however, just as they were about a day or two away from the nearest port, the vessel was suddenly attacked by pirates. A lengthy battle erupted off of the coast of England. The merchant vessel put up a fierce resistance, but in the end, it was no match for the firepower of the pirate ship. Even after its fateful escapes and adventures, the ship had finally met its demise at the hands of fate. Most of the crew was killed in the conflict. The remaining members were forced to abandon the ship along with all of the valuable cargo within. Before jumping off the ship like the others, Frederick went to search for the Captain. He found the loyal man and his monkey standing at the helm of the ship. Frederick attempted to plead with the Captain to abandon ship, but he would not. Running out of time, the former noble saluted his employer and reluctantly jumped overboard. The ship soon sank, taking the captain and many of Frederick's comrades with it. Having already survived one disaster at sea, he managed to cling on to a piece of driftwood as prior experience would have of him. The piece of wood with the haggard man on it slowly drifted toward the shores of England. 'A New Land of Opportunity' A few days after the terrible incident, Frederick drifted on to English shore. Weary and disoriented, he had little hope of survival in such a new land. However, when Frederick began to examine his possessions, he realized that the Captain's pay was still on him. Excited, Frederick began to wander North, curious as to what English land had to offer him. On his travels, he made note of the different town and people that he saw. England was quite different from the lands of the Holy Roman Empire. His travels not only gave him the opportunity to study the culture of a new country, but gave him time to refine his English. They had taught various languages at the Naval Academy, but he had not had a chance to actually practice the vernacular language of the nations he had visited. In time, he was speaking fluent English, albeit with a very heavy German accent. His travels also allowed him the opportunity to meet with his son, whom he had with the Anglo-Dutch lady from years prior. They only met once with the help of the mother, after he landed in England. He felt sorry for the bastard child, as the family who was caring for him disliked him immensely. Frederick wished that he could have done more for the child, but what could he have done when he had nothing? The family would not allow him to wed their daughter, and he had nothing to his name. Sadly, all he could do was to give some reassuring words to his son, Harold, before moving on. Deep inside, however, he knew that the tough upbringing would make his son strong in the future - potentially strong enough to become his heir. It was during these travels that Frederick, now in his mid-thirties, would repeat the errors of the past and fall into another brief period of love. Having been gone at sea for a number of months, Frederick longed for the companionship of a woman. After surviving the various ordeals encountered on his voyages, he felt that he was entitled to a little bit of fun. Weeks into his travels, he would find himself in a small English town. The populace was friendly, but they all lived in fear of a certain English family which held lordship over the town. On the day that Frederick entered the town, he would meet a dashing young lady. At the time, he was in his mid-twenties and was around five years her senior. However, that did not stop the initial spark of romance between the two. After a brief exchange of conversations, he finally charmed her with his compassion and wit. Later that day, they would spend the night together in secret. The very next day, however, problems would arise. It would turn out that the young lady, whom he spent the night with, was actually the daughter of the lord who lorded over the town. Frederick was devastated by the news. The young lady's family would never accept their daughter's intimate relations with a man such as him. So, the young lady and Frederick agreed that it would be best if he left. The very next day he departed the company of the young woman with sorrow in his heart and a rose adorned in her hair. After days of traveling northward, Frederick ended up in the town of Derby. Determined to settle and hopefully once again experience the open sea, he bought a small property in the town. 'English Residence' Having frequented the taverns of Derby on a daily basis, Frederick built up a reputation in the drinking halls as a man of many whispers. He was often at times found conversing secretly with various members of the town. The exact topic of such discussions has been kept private. Even so, the on-going "whispers" have made the townsfolk of Derby call Frederick "The Whispering One" or "Whispering Jihb". It is a nickname chuckled at by Frederick and has been a sticking reference to him. It wasn't for a few months of living in the town that Frederick discovered a familiar last name in the government doctrines. As it would turn out, his brother - having arrived in England at an earlier time - had became very successful during the time that Frederick was at sea. Realizing that his brother was the only family that he really had, Frederick vowed to look after his more successful, but still little brother. Months later, he would be surprised once more to discover a little sister whom he had never had any knowledge of. As the eldest of the siblings, he was determined to look after his brother and sister as their parents once had. Thus, the Morstede family would establish itself in Mercia County. A year passed, and after having settled into his home at Derby, Frederick would be surprised to receive a letter from the young woman which he had spent the night with long ago. Upon reading the letter, he would be shocked to discover that she had conceived a daughter; more specifically, his daughter. He immediately wrote her back on the well-being of the child. There was a great worry in him. If her family discovered the baby, the woman's life would be ruined. The next day, she replied with positive news. It would seem that she was secretly raising the child and that her family had not yet found out. Frederick wrote her once more, to which she replied the next day. So began a series of written exchange between the two for the next few years. A couple of years later, after receiving the initial news of his daughter's birth, a great tragedy would occur. On that cold, autumn day, Frederick awaited the mother's response as always. Days passed by without a response. The lack of replies began to worry him. It wasn't like her to be late. Soon, the days turned to months. There was still no response. Finally, a year or two later, a letter came. At first excited, Frederick's glee quickly diminished as he saw that it was a letter not written by the woman. Instead, it was by a close friend of hers. The friend wrote that the woman's family had discovered the child's existence and had cast both mother and child out of the family. Her father, however, couldn't take it into his heart to abandon his daughter, and thus, gave her an estate near Sussex to live out her life in secret. This was a few years ago. During that time, she was not allowed to write to anyone. It was a lonely life. Frederick would peer at the letters carefully. He then reached the section of the letter describing the tragic news. Only a few weeks prior had the mother caught a deadly illness. She had finally expired just a few days short of him receiving the letter. Frederick was struck with grief by the news. He quickly wrote back to the mother's friend, asking her to send his daughter to live with him. However, he would later discover that she had collaborated with the daughter to sell the family estate so that the young child could go search for the father. Letters were immediately sent out to the various friends and neighbors in the vicinity of his daughter's last known whereabouts. But wherever the letters were sent to, they were always late in catching up to her. Finally, years would come and go before Frederick had all but given up on the possibility of finding his daughter. About ten years passed since the news of the woman's death had reached Frederick's eyes. He, at this time, was - and still is - around his early forties. By that time, he had reached the early stages of mid-life and had grown bitter with the toils of life. It was on a fateful spring day that he was returning from a trip from the village of Duffield - his brother's domain - that he had quite a surprise waiting in store for him. The captain of the guard had approached him with news of a girl claiming to be his daughter. Skeptical at first, Frederick went to the girl who had taken up a brief residence at his Derby home. He was surprised to find that the girl had a near-perfect resemblance to her mother. Thinking that the situation was but a ruse, even though the facts were quite strong, all of his doubts vanished when the girl offered him a box containing the various letters he had sent to the girl's mother of the course of those long years. Overwhelmed with joy, Frederick quickly incorporated his finally found daughter into the family. 'Current Life' As time passed in the town of Derby, Frederick eventually found work as a traveling merchant employed by the town. Through his profession, Frederick was able to live his dreams of adventure and fortune. He also acquired a variety of other positions, including taking the position of rightful head of the Morstede family, the Marques sof Worcestershire, Baron of Whitchurch, and as an Ambassador of the Royal Embassy of England. In the year 1460, he fathered a girl by the name of Avelyn. As stable as his life had become, however, the sea still called to him in his dreams as a siren would to her unsuspecting victims... English Towns Visited International Towns Visited Titles and Affiliations * Patriarch of The House of Morstede * Marquess of Worcestershire * Baron of Whitchurch * English Crown Ambassador to Galloway Skills